This invention relates generally to means and methods for stabilizing aggregates and relates, more particularly, to means for stabilizing aggregates to produce a product which can be used, for example, for paving, patching or sealing roadways, driveways, parking lots, trails, sidewalks and pathways or for use in other applications in which stabilizing of aggregate is necessary, such as in building blocks or the like.
In my prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,822,425, I described a liquid emulsion which can be blended with aggregate and permitted to cure to a hardened condition to produce a product whose characteristics, such as durability, closely duplicate those of asphalt and, accordingly, can be substituted for asphalt as a roadway paving material. Briefly, the described emulsion includes a substantial amount of pitch and rosin which, when mixed and compacted with appropriate amounts of water and aggregate and permitted to cure to a hardened condition, provides a solid product in which the aggregate is tightly bonded together and which is weight-supporting, water-impermeable and freeze-resistant. Furthermore, since the components of the emulsion are found in nature, the emulsion presents a reduced risk to the environment and may be preferred over asphalt for this reason.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved emulsion for stabilizing aggregate which, like the emulsion described in my referenced patent, includes a substantial amount of pitch and rosin and possesses characteristics which increase the useful life of the product within which the emulsion is blended.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such an emulsion which, when mixed with aggregate in appropriate amounts and permitted to cure to a hardened condition, provides a product which is water-resistant, is flexible and retains its flexibility over time and through prolonged exposure to the elements (e.g. weather and ultraviolet rays) and therefore doesn""t become brittle, and resists cracking.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide such an emulsion whose components comprise renewable resources and can therefore be harvested on a sustainable basis.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such an emulsion which is non-toxic, non-hazardous, non-corrosive and environmentally-appropriate.
A further another object of the present invention is to provide such an emulsion which does not alter or effect the color of the aggregate with which it is ultimately used so that the color of the emulsion/aggregate mixture corresponds to that of the aggregate.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide such an emulsion which, when mixed with aggregate and permitted to cure to a hardened condition, yields a resulting product which is more light-reflective than asphalt and consequently provides cooler surface temperatures than asphalt.
A yet further object of the present invention is to provide such an emulsion which is uncomplicated in composition yet effective in operation.
One more object of the present invention is to provide a product comprised of a mixture of the emulsion and an aggregate.
This invention resides in an emulsion for stabilizing aggregate and a product formed by the blending of the emulsion and an aggregate.
The emulsion of the invention includes an amount of soap solution comprising a mixture of water and a non-ionic surfactant, and further includes a base mixture including a pine tar mixture and drying oil. The composition of the base mixture in the emulsion is within the range of between about 1 and 70 percent, by weight, and the particle size of the emulsion is no greater than about 10 microns.